Ten years ago, in addition to self-publishing Psycho Bunny, I did a sketchbook/pinup zine titled Babalon Babes. It was a mixture of occult, esoteric and symbolism mixed in with erotica. At least I was able to give Lon Milo DuQuette a copy of issue four back in 2011.

Issue One was printed in late 2003. Very Thelemic overtones. In fact, the title itself came from Crowley’s interpretation of Babalon. Not so much into the 93 current these days, but that might change.

Issue two was released in 2005, which debuted at the Big Apple Comic Con. It continued on the 93 subject, but with more mixture from other spiritual paths. Chaos magick started to creep in. The cover was my first rendition of The Star tarot card.

As much as I liked the cover, not too thrilled about the content inside. Might’ve mentioned the cut-up method in this issue. Don’t think this will be in print again.

Issue three was released against all odd. The year 2007 was a very rough year due to personal circumstances and adversaries. Despite everything, I managed to make it to MoCCA Art Fest 2007. Even managed to quickly put together The Psycho Bunny Scrapbook.

Issue three had much more content. Definitely more of the Chaos current by this point, which I truly believed might’ve saved my ass during that year. Again, other spiritual paths crept in. Such as my sketch of Freya in her chariot driven by her two cats. Looking back the tone was a bit all over the place. Reflecting on issues two and three now has a sad element. It’s best having these two being out of print.

Issue 4 was the last of the Babalon Babe series. It was printed in 2009, debuted at some NYC comic con where for a brief time, Big Apple Con and Wizard World merged together, aka Wizard World Big Apple Comic Con. I did an hour at the CAG table with this in hand. The last issue had much better art, and more of a focus. It had an official theme of astrology. The hardcore sex aspect was toned down, but it was still erotic. Each of the zodiac signs had it’s own pin-up. There’s still copies available of this issue.

Issue 4 of Babalon Babes, fall 2009. The final issue in the series. It’s theme was Astrology. Zine/sketchbook by Michele Witchipoo on WitchesBrewPress.

The last sketchbook I self-published had nothing to do with Babalon Babes, but a slight offshoot. Pin-Ups was quickly put together in 2015, and debuted at Big Apple Con. The miracle of Adobe InDesign.

Pin-Ups. A very small sketchbook. Released March 2015. Zine/Sketchbook by Michele Witchipoo on WitchesBrewPress.

If you want a copy of Babalon Babes issue four or Pin-ups, both titles are available for purchase. It’s four dollars each issue ($3.00 plus $1.00 for S&H). You can send payment through PayPal: Psychobunnycomix@aol.com. Please specify which issue you want. Also available for commissions, email for details, etc.

In all, being at MICE Expo 2016 was good. It was also a relief that not only did I make my money back for the table and bus fare, there was a bit of a profit. So it’s definitely worth break out of one’s comfort zone, and to do comic cons outside of your hometown. Even if you’re barely awake in the a.m.

Comicbook/Zine artist and writer Michele Witchipoo at MICE Expo 2016. Photo taken early in the morning, Oct. 2016.

Some more photos from MICE Expo 2016:

Being in Cambridge was pretty nice as well.

Being at MICE, I had the rare occasion of being near Salem, MA for Halloween. Managed to squeeze in a few hours, jumping on the train. Wasn’t far of a train ride from Cambridge and Boston.

It’s very easy to walk around Salem once you navigate around the tourists. Surprisingly I got a very accurate tarot reading in one of those occult shops. The psychic was a kind gentleman. His advice was spot-on as 2017 later unfolded.

There was some annoyance when some fundamentalist Christians started preaching on a street corner. Shouting about the evils on Halloween. Right across the street from one of the witch stores. Nobody really paid them any mind.

Here’s some photos from Salem, Halloween day, Oct 31st 2016:

Soon it was time to head back to NYC. Left Salem right before the rush of the evening crowds started coming in. BTW, Beer Works in Salem is an awesome brewery.

I’ll end the MICE 2016 series with some comics and zines picked up during the weekend. There was tons of talented artists, writers, zine makers and comic creators. Unfortunately a few months after MICE, there was an abrupt apartment move (no thanks to a former corrupt, greedy landlord, but that’s another story.) Most of the merch brought at MICE was thrown into a box, which I still have to locate. Luckily I was able to retrieve these:

Me & Doctor Dee.: A Jape/Tree Rats! or, The Crepuscular Hobbyhorse. A Farrago/A Beautiful Young Nymph Going To Bed by Jonathan Swift, Illustrated by E.J. Barnes all available on DrownedTownPress: http://www.drownedtownpress.com/

Now finally have a chance to catch up on blog posts. Here’s a zine show I took part of on Friday, Oct. 13th, 2017.

The zine show was within a bigger art opening titled Transparency, taking place at Brooklyn Fireproof, Bushwick, Brooklyn. It was part of an art collective called Trans-cen-der. The event even had a brief mention on the Bushwick Bomb website. The zine part was curated by illustrator/sculptor/painter/print-maker Danielle-Draik.

Flyer for the Transparency show at Trans-cen-der at Brooklyn Fireproof, Oct. 13th, 2017.

The turn-out was pretty good. In the zine section, there was a variety of self-published comics and zines on display. Two of my titles, Psycho Bunny #3.25, and the last issue of Babalon Babes (astrology issue) were shown.

In another room was sculptures by Colin Radcliffe, titled Uninvited Guests.

Sculptures by Colin Radcliffe, shown during his solo show at Transparency. Oct. 13th, 2017.

So what is an Liebster Award anyway? Glad you asked. A Liebster Award nomination is a way to draw attention to current blogs. As Henry Chamberlain posted in Comics Grinder, ‘These emerging blogs (currently with less than 200 loyal followers) with quality content that, for various reasons, deserves a shout-out.’

It’s nice to be nominated, especially when it’s from another fellow blogger. I consider this nomination to be an honor. As a result, now it’s time to take this blog up to the next level. More artwork, observations, and personal musings is on the agenda. Perhaps I’ll finally get around to that Nettie and Squeaky webcomic I had posted about last summer.

THE RULES FOR ACCEPTING THE LIEBSTER AWARD ARE AS FOLLOWS:

List 11 facts about myself
Nominate 11 bloggers for the award
Let them know about the nomination
Answer the 11 questions asked when nominated
Ask 11 questions for the new nominees to answer.

1. A naive of New York City. Born in The Bronx, raised in Queens. There was a time I moved out of NYC. After two years I thought better – so I moved right back. New York City had, and still does hold a definite influence upon my work. It may not be so apparent. Sometimes it’s subtle, but it’s there.

2. I’m a self-taught artist. Ever since I was a child, I was always drawing and writing. There was a time during the 1990s when I stopped. In 1998 I slowly started to sketch again. Didn’t start taking art seriously until the early 2000s. Never looked back since.

3. My childhood was spent in the 1970s, my teen years in the 80s, my twenties a blur during the ’90s. A lot of the pop, underground culture and music culture that have influenced me came from those three decades.

4. Studied graphic design, but my passion is more with illustration, cartooning and fine art. It all connects anyway. Since 2004 I’ve self-published a comic on and off titled Psycho Bunny. He’s an alcoholic, unemployed rabbit with anger issues.

5. During the 1990s I discovered tarot cards. Learning how to read them opened up a whole different world for me. Occasionally I would read tarot professionally. These readings would be either personal, or at nightclub parties. It wasn’t very often, but when I did, people told me I was quite good. In turn, this helped sparked off my interest in anything esoteric. Nowadays, I don’t pursue that field anymore, but tarot still remains.

6. Comparative religions is an interest of mine. My interest used to be stronger ten years ago, but just like different fields of art, it all connects. For the past three years I started to adopt a more agnostic stance. Lately though, I’ve been reconsidering. Having said that, I do not believe in following one religion per say. Maybe it’s better not to follow any religion, period. In the end it’s best to forge your path, not subscribe to any particular faith. My observations and opinions about theology are always changing. Therefore the observations and opinions I hold might be completely different next year.

7. I like Dystopian science fiction. Was keen on it during my junior high years, but dropped it during high school. By then, music had taken up most of my time. Particularly Siouxsie and The Banshees. My interest reemerged thanks an English professor. His course reintroduced me to dystopia literature, which I find at times prophetic.

8. I will be the first to admit my music tastes are now considered dated. Don’t really care for the current crop of new music out there. There are a few exceptions, but I mostly stick to post-punk/alternative/new wave/experimental bands from the 80s. Occasionally tunes from the 90s and 70s will creep up. I’m more likely to check out a local band rather than patronize a concert venue, with a few exceptions.

“I Love Muttley” Fan art by Michele Witchipoo, 2009.

9. My favorite animation character is Muttley from Wacky Races.

10. My all time favorite comic is Love and Rockets by Los Hernandez Bros. Both Xamie and Beto are geniuses. My favorite newspaper comic strip is Peanuts. I remember reading Doonesbury, Haggar The Horrible, Brenda Starr, Curtis, Dondi, Calvin and Hobbes, and Bloom County growing up. Bloom County ruled! Everyone loved Bill The Cat, but I was more partial to Opus.

11. Everyone should have a Hunter S. Thompson style weekend at least once in their lives.

11 QUESTIONS FOR WITCHESBREWPRESS:

1. Do you think we need to do away with capitalism altogether or do you see an alternative or do you prefer to pretty much leave things as they are?

Good question. I don’t know if we need to do away with capitalism altogether, but some serious changes are needed. I feel that many corporations have too much control with lobby groups, working with local government, greed, etc.

2. What excites you?

Having my artwork published, either in print or on the web. That could be either being published by others, or self-publishing my own comics. Completing creative projects. New projects, experiences, adventures. Being in love.

3. When was the last time you told someone that you loved them? Does that inspire a story you want to share?

Told someone I loved them recently. Does it inspire any stories per say? Not at the moment. It inspires more artwork if anything.

4. If you could live on the Moon, or Mars, would you and why?

Mars. Silly as this sounds, my astrology sign is ruled by Mars. I could be a moonchilde, but Mars seems to fit more of my nature.

5. What do you expect to happen when you die and beyond?

Rot, dead and buried into the ground. If there is such thing as reincarnation, I’d like to come back as a nice, well-taken care of house cat. Just as long as my human caretaker is humane.

6. Describe a compelling experience you’ve had with nature.

Back in the spring and summer of 2007, I stayed at this nature retreat center located in the Midwest. It’s rural, private surroundings were open to people of all different spiritual traditions, philosophies, sexual orientations and lifestyles while promoting connecting to the land and the people on it. There were plenty of places to hike, meditate, swim, camp or just simply gather. During 2007 I stayed in a cabin on the premises.

I remember this one time, it was after everyone had gone to sleep. Since I grew up in an urban environment, I’m used to all night street lights, constant noise, maybe some foot traffic. At this nature retreat, it was different. If you wanted to walk around, you definitely needed a flashlight. There was no noise. Just a few scattered sounds from nature. Complete darkness. Stillness. No man-made distractions such as television background buzz. I sat down in front of the simple cabin I was staying in. It was late night, and everyone else had either gone back to town. Imagined that this is what it probably felt like during colonial settler days, or before the Industrial Revolution.

7. What book has inspired you?

I don’t have a favorite book per say. What I can do is tell which writers I’m fond of: Anais Nin, Hunter S. Thompson, Charles Bukowski, William S. Burroughs, Brion Gysin, Hubert Selby Jr.

Read The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood for an English course last spring. Not too proud to admit reading the occasional celebrity autobiography. I have Take It Like A Man by Boy George, and Tainted Life by Marc Almond. When I was growing up, my father would always buy biographies and autobiographies on all the classic movie stars. Books about Montgomery Cliff, Elizabeth Taylor, Lana Turner. I read them all.

8. What movie has inspired you?

Again, I don’t have a particular movie in mind. It varies, and depends on my mood. I like film directors like Stanley Kubrick, John Waters, and Kenneth Anger. The first few films from Kevin Smith were good. Of course there’s always the Sci-fi and Horror genres. Some of my all time faves are Last Tango In Paris, Andy Warhol’s Bad, Clerks, Phantom of Paradise, and Christiane F. I like a lot of obscure, cult, midnight, art house, 70s porno chic and exploitation flicks. During my teen years, I was really into films like A Clockwork Orange, The Rocky Horror Picture Show and assorted bad horror films.

9. Do you have a tattoo or would you consider getting one? Or is there something badass you’ve done that you’d like to share?

I have a tattoo. A few of them actually. The one I usually get the most compliments on is the replica of the high priestess tarot card from the Rider-Waite deck. It’s located on my right upper arm. With that I highly recommend True Blue tattoos, located in Queens, NY.

Despite this, I don’t think tattoos are so “badass” anymore. If anything, tattoo culture has been incorporated in the mainstream. Still, some amazing artists I’ve meet have been tattoo artists.

10. Your gut reaction: Which title do you prefer, “A Night at the Sorrento and Other Stories” or “Alice in New York and Other Stories”? And why?

“Alice in New York and Other Stories” is the one preferred. Although both titles work fine. It was more or less the name Alice itself.

11. What do you hope to see in your lifetime?

Well….at the risk of sounding like a hippy…I’m sorta misanthropic, but I’m an optimistic misanthrope.

Get rid of kill shelters for homeless pets. Have more help available for these homeless and abused pets. More support for the no kill shelters. Do away with kitten/puppy mills. Get horse driven carriages off the streets of NYC. Better awareness of animal rights. Such as get rid of poaching, unnecessary hunting for sport, etc. Harsher punishment for humans who abuse and neglect animals.

Find a cure for AIDS. An invention of a HIV vaccine.

Maybe see a woman U.S. president – just as long as she’s not Republican.

11 QUESTIONS WITCHESBREWPRESS PUTS TO NOMINEES

1. You’ve been given approximately 48 hours to live. As compensation, you have received 500,000 dollars. The entire amount must be spent a half hour before you pass away. Leave no money behind. What would you do?

2. List an all time favorite book.

3. Name your favorite film.

4. When making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, which do you put on first: the peanut butter, or the jelly? Inquiring minds want to know.

5. Just who the hell are you? Explain.

6. Finish This! Q: Are We Not Men? We are…

7. Who would you rather be: Oscar or Felix?

8. Name your all time favorite comic book.

9. Name a favorite band or singer, and why. If no favorite musician, then list a favorite album.

10. Imagine you could go on a picnic with a dead historical icon. You’ll get to spend the whole day with this deceased person. Who would it be and why? It could be an artist, musician, writer, poet, thespian, religious, spiritual, scientist, explorer, academic, political figure, hero, villain, or whomever. What kind of picnic would you have? Yogi Bear may or may not be invited.

11. Post a favorite quote. The quote could be from anywhere: a philosopher, a book, a film, book, comic, song, etc. Don’t forget to name it’s source and who said it.

You can always order your own copies of either the last Psycho Bunny mini issue #3.25 for $3.00 ($2.00 plus $1.00 S&H) or Babalon Babes issue 4, the astrology theme $4.00 ($3.00 + $1.00 for S&H). If ordering one or more issue shipping will be combined. You can order from the website: